The Case for the Woman Warrior in Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

When developer Warhorse Studios recently showed their game Kingdom Come: Deliverance to media outlets, they explained all the options available to your protagonist. You can explore a large open world, create your own weapons, build relationships with characters (including seducing the local ladies), lead an army, and even customize your armor and play style. Yet there is one option that isn't available: a female avatar. The absence of a female protagonist in light of a customizable hero (as opposed to a preset one) seems rather puzzling, but Warhorse Studios insists that Kingdom Come: Deliverance is meant to be as true to life as possible, and a chevalière simply isn't "realistic."

As a history buff, I respect and appreciate this explanation. The desire to be historically accurate when recreating Medieval society is rather refreshing. Yet I can't help but feel pretty bummed about the lack of a heroine. Not because I believe that EVERY game MUST have female representation, but because I love role-playing games. When I play them, I can project my id onto a character and become immersed in their world. For just a few hours I can be a ruler, or a pirate, or even a ninja. And no matter what I choose to be, I always choose a woman if given the option. Because being a woman is so integral to who I am. So I appreciate it when developers like Bethesda and Bioware give you the choice to be either male or female.

But Warhorse Studios isn't doing a fantasy RPG; it's trying to do a semi-historical one, and not many women rode off to battle in Medieval Europe. And yet it is not unprecedented for women to have donned armor in order to defend themselves and their families. The most famous example is seventeen year-old Jeanne D'Arc (Joan of Arc), who took up arms on behalf of the French and fought the English army in the 15th century. And she wasn't the first woman to show courage in battle, either. Here are five other women who made history by being women warriors in the Middle Ages:

Matilda of Tuscany (1046-1115)

The countess of Tuscany is remembered for her role in the conflict between the Pope and the Holy Roman emperor in the 11th century. Matilda supported the papacy completely in the conflict, and ordered or commanded successful military expeditions throughout her life against any who opposed her or the papacy in Rome.

Empress Matilda (1102-1167)

Daughter of King Henry I and married to the Holy Roman Emperor, Empress Matilda was the rightful heir to the English throne upon her brother's death in 1120. The Anglo-Norman court did not approve of her being queen however, and so her cousin Stephen of Blois took the throne instead. Furious over this usurpation, Matilda lead an invading army into England from Normandy, determined to win back her crown. Though it appears she never actually participated in any battles, she did make a harrowing escape from Oxford Castle while it was under siege by enemy forces, crossing an icy river at night with only a handful of soldiers and supporters. The war would eventually end in a stalemate, and Matilda would go on to be one of her son Henry II's primary advisers after he brought the war between Matilda and Stephen's factions to an end.

Joanna of Flanders 1295 – 1374

Joanna of Flanders was Duchess of Brittany and married to John de Montfort, who was fighting for control of the Duchy of Brittany against the Houses of Blois. After her husband was captured in battle, Joanna took up arms and successfully defended the town of Hennebont, urging women to "cut their skirts and take their safety in their own hands". She even led three hundred men outside the city walls to raid one of the enemy camps, setting it on fire and earning the name ‘Jeanne la Flamme’. It's said she "had the courage of a man and the heart of a lion," and may have been an influence on Joan of Arc.

Maria of Pozzuoli (14th Century)

This formidable lady lived in the early to mid 1300s and was an active female soldier, known for her strength and eagerness in battle. Petrarch seemed especially impressed: "She helps wage an inherited local war, in which many have perished on both sides. Sometimes alone, often with a few companions, she has raided the enemy, always, up to the present, victoriously. First into battle, slow to withdraw, she attacks aggressively, practises skilful feints. She bears with incredible patience hunger, thirst, cold, heat, lack of sleep, weariness; she passes nights in the open, under arms; she sleeps on the ground, counting herself lucky to have a turf or a shield for pillow."

Agnes Hotot Dudley (1378 – ?)

Agnes Hotot Dudley is famous for winning a mounted duel in the 13th century. She took up arms in place of her sickly father after he quarreled with another man, and beat her opponent in a joust. After she successfully dismounted her opponent, she removed her helmet, let down her hair and bared her breasts to prove she was a woman. Ever after, the House of Dudley shows a woman wearing a helmet with long loose hair and exposed breasts, commemorating the event.

And so, Dames (the title given to a woman equivalent to the rank of knight) did in fact exist in Medieval Europe, and there were even women blacksmiths and ferriers according to historical records. Although Warhorse Studios is most likely set on their story for Kingdom Come: Deliverance --which involves a blacksmith setting out on a journey to save his royal brother ---it's my hope to at least see some female characters in the game that do more than run taverns, tend the hearth or walk the streets. After all, you don't need to have magic and dragons to give a woman a reason to pick up a sword and shield. Just courage and conviction.